Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, Judges · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Verſ. 1. ANd the children of Iſrael again did evill in the ſight of the Lord when Ehud was dead.] In none of the Judges dayes did the Iſraelites enjoy ſo long a peace, as in the dayes of Ehud, as is evident in that clauſe (however we underſtand it) chap. 3.30. Moab was ſubdued under the hand of Iſrael, and the land had rest fourſcore years; and here we ſee what effect this long peace wrought amongſt them, and how ill they requited the Lord for ſo great a mercy; even as ſtanding waters are wont to putrifie, ſo they were corrupted by their long peace, and by degrees fell off from God, as they had formerly done.
Verſ. 2. And the Lord ſold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor.] See the note chap. 2.14. There was a Jabin that reigned in Hazor formerly (who it is likely was called as this is here king of Canaan; for Hazor is there ſaid to be the head of all the neighbouring kingdomes, Joſh. 11.10.) the ſame who was the cheif in that confederacy againſt Joſhua, Joſhua 11.1. but he was ſlain by Joſhua and his city burnt with fire, Joſh. 11.11. It ſeems therefore that this was ſome one of that ſtock who afterward recovered from the Iſraelites that part of the land, and repaired the city Hazor, and ſo reigned there again as his predeceſſours had done. When this was done we cannot ſay, but doubtleſſe it was not in Joſhuas time as ſome think; for it is not to be thought that the Lord ever ſuffered the Canaanites to recover any part of the land which the Iſraelites had taken from them, till they by their ſinnes had provoked the Lord to anger againſt them. But now at laſt not contented with his own kingdome, it ſeems he made warre with the Iſraelites in generall, brought them into bondage, and no doubt oppreſſed them the more cruelly in revenge of that Joſhua had done to Hazor and Jabin king thereof, Joſh. 11.11. who perhaps was his father or grandfather. And beſides, it muſt needs be moſt terrible to the Iſraelites to be oppreſſed by the Canaanites of all other nations, becauſe God had promiſed to caſt them out before the Iſraelites; ſo that their prevailing over them was in a ſpeciall manner a ſigne that God had caſt them off.
The Captain of whoſe host was Siſera, which dwelt in Haroſheth of the Gentiles.] So called (as it is probably thought) becauſe in the time of the Iſraelites prevailing againſt the ſeverall nations of the Canaanites, many of them fled thither as to a place of great ſtrength, and there fortified themſelves unto this time; or elſe for the reaſons given in a like caſe, Joſh. 12.23.
Verſ. 3. For he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppreſſed the children of Iſrael.] Concerning theſe chariots of iron, ſee the note Joſh. 17.16. This clauſe, and he mightily oppreſſed the children of Iſrael, is no where elſe inſerted, where mention is made of the bondage of Iſrael under other kings, and therefore it ſeems this king did farre more cruelly oppreſſe them then the reſt had done, which might be, partly from the deadly hatred which the Canaanites above other nations did bear to the Iſraelites, becauſe the Iſraelites had taken their land from them; and partly from the juſt vengeance of God upon the Iſraelites, becauſe God had afforded them ſo long a peace in the dayes of Ehud, chap. 3.30. and they had made ſo ill an uſe of his long-ſuffering and goodneſſe therein. See the note alſo, chap. 3.14.
Verſ. 4. And Deborah a propheteſſe, &c.] A woman, the weaker ſex, that the glory of the work might be given to God, and not to the inſtrument he uſed.
Verſ. 6. And ſhe ſent and called Barak the ſonne of Abinoam, out of Kedeſh-naphtali, &c.] That is, Kedeſh in the tribe of Naphtali, to diſtinguiſh it from other towns of the ſame name in other tribes, as Kedeſh in Iſſachar, 1. Chron. 6.72. Kedeſh in Judah, Joſh. 15.23. and others. Now Deborah did thus ſend for Barak, not of her own head chuſing him as a man of eminency for the undertaking of the ſervice, but by ſpeciall direction from God, as the words ſhe ſpake to Barak when he came to her do imply, Hath not the Lord God of Iſrael commaded, ſaying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, &c? Deborah was a propheteſſe, and therefore no doubt God had revealed unto her that which now ſhe imparted to Barak, to wit, either by ſecret inſtinct of his Spirit, or perhaps, by the miniſtry of an Angel: for that ſome Angel did appear to her, either before or after the battell which they fought with Siſera, ſeems evident in that clauſe of Deborahs ſong, chap. 5.26. Curſe ye Meroz (ſaith the Angel of the Lord) curſe ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof.
And take with thee ten thouſand men of the children of Naphtali, and of the children of Zebulun.] To wit, firſt, becauſe they were neareſt at hand: ſecondly, becauſe Naphtali was likely to be the forwardeſt in this work, becauſe Barak was of that tribe, and they were moſt oppreſſed, Hazor and Haroſheth being both in their tribe.
Verſ. 8. And Barak ſaid unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go, &c.] Barak, no doubt, believed what Deborah had told him in the foregoing words as from the Lord, namely, that Siſera ſhould be vanquiſhed by him, and therefore we ſee that he was willing to hazard his life and all that he had in riſing againſt this mighty king that had brought the Iſraelites into bondage; whence it is that Barak is commended for his faith by S. Paul, and reckoned amongſt thoſe who through faith ſubdued kingdomes, Heb. 11.32, 33. But why then did he refuſe to undertake the ſervice enjoyned him unleſſe Deborah would go along with him? I anſwer, partly becauſe he conſidered that Deborah being a propheteſſe, he ſhould have a great advantage in having her with him to pray for them, to give them counſell, and to adviſe them what to do upon every occaſion; but partly alſo no doubt, becauſe his faith was alſo accompanied and aſſaulted with doubtings and fears, as we may ſee by Deborahs anſwer in the following verſe, wherein ſhe diſcovered what a fault it was ſo doubtfully to yield to what God had enjoyned him.
Verſ. 9. The journey that thou takest ſhall not be for thine honour; for the Lord ſhall ſell Siſera into the hand of a woman.] Thus ſhe yields to go with him, but withall ſhews him, that becauſe of his diſtruſtfulneſſe and fear the Lord would now deprive him of a great part of that glory he ſhould otherwiſe have had: Becauſe he would not undertake the enterpriſe without the ſupport and encouragement of a womans preſence, therefore a woman ſhould carry away a great part of the honour of this victory, to wit, Jael the wife of Heber, into whoſe hands Siſera ſhould fall, and by whom he ſhould be ſlain.
Verſ. 10. And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedeſh, &c.] The chief ſtrength therefore of the army conſiſted of thoſe that by Barak were gathered together out of theſe two tribes; whence alſo is that, chap. 5.18. Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field: where yet that ſome of the other tribes did alſo voluntarily joyn in this warre made againſt Siſera, Deborah in her ſong doth plainly acknowledge, verſ. 14. Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek, after thee Benjamin among thy people: Out of Machir came down governours, &c.
Verſ. 11. Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moſes, had ſevered himſelf from the Kenites, &c.] Becauſe the Kenites were ſeated amongſt the children of Judah, chap. 1.16. leſt we ſhould wonder at the mention that is made in the following part of this chapter of Heber the Kenite, dwelling near Kedeſh in the tribe of Naphtali, this is here premiſed concerning this Heber, to wit, that for ſome reaſons not expreſſed in the text, he had ſevered himſelf from the reſt of the Kenites, and pitched his tent amongſt the tribe of Naphtali, as indeed the Kenites it ſeems did alwayes dwell not in houſes, but in tents.
Verſ. 15. And the Lord diſcomfited Siſera, &c.] For though the Iſraelites prevailed by force of arms, yet it was of God that they did prevail, Prov. 21.31. The horſe is prepared againſt the day of battell, but ſafety is of the Lord. Beſides, Joſephus reports that the Lord ſent a terrible tempeſt, wherewith the Canaanites being both terrified and diſordered, the Iſraelites did the more eaſily put them to flight; and indeed, ſome ſuch thing thoſe words ſeem to intend, chap. 5.20. They fought from heaven, the ſtarres in their courſes fought against Siſera.
Verſ. 17. For there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor, and the houſe of Heber the Kenite.] Though the Kenites came in with the Iſraelites, and were in a manner incorporated amongſt them, profeſſing the ſame religion, and worſhiping the ſame God, and living with all love and amity with them, yet Jabin was willing to grant peace to them (onelyonly perhaps taking ſome certain tribute of them, by way of acknowledging his ſovereignty) whileſt he oppreſſed the Iſraelites with all manner of cruelty: Firſt, becauſe they lived as ſojourners amongſt the Iſraelites, and laid no claim to the land. Secondly, becauſe they were found to be given to a peaceable paſtorall kind of life, and not like to riſe up in rebellion againſt him. Thirdly, becauſe the Lord turned the heart of this heatheniſh king towards them; and that happely, becauſe they had kept themſelves pure from thoſe idolatrous and ſinfull courſes, whereunto the Iſraelites had plunged themſelves, that ſo in them his people might ſee wherefore it was that the Lord had brought ſuch miſeries upon them.
Verſ. 18. And Jael went out to meet Siſera, and ſaid unto him, Turn in my lord, turn in to me, fear not.] The event diſcovers plainly that ſhe intended his ruine; and therefore though her words may be interpreted ſo, as if ſhe intended that ſhe would not have him be afraid, but commit himſelf to her cuſtody; yet ſince ſhe could not but know that her words would be underſtood by him, as if ſhe intended that in her tent he might and ſhould be ſafe; I ſee not what can be ſaid herein to quit her from ſinne, but onelyonly that what ſhe did herein ſhe did by virtue of an extraordinary warrant and authority from God.
And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, ſhe covered him with a mantle.] To wit, as pretending herewith to cover him, and hide him, in caſe any of thoſe that purſued him ſhould come in thither; or elſe to keep him warm being now in a great heat by reaſon of his flying on foot from thoſe that followed him; or elſe that he might the more readily fall aſleep, that ſhe might do to him what no doubt already ſhe had purpoſed with her ſelf.
Verſ. 19. And ſhe opened a bottle of milk and gave him drink.] Though he asked for water, which men in great heat and thirſt do eſpecially deſire, yet ſhe fetched a bottle of milk and gave him of that, either thereby to teſtifie her great reſpect of him, that ſo he might the more ſecurely confide in her; or elſe becauſe milk, when men that are hot drink largely of it, doth naturally encline men to ſleep, and that ſhe deſired to bring him to, that then ſhe might do to him what whileſt he was awake ſhe could not hope to do: and therefore when Deborah commends Jael this is particularly expreſſed as an act of ſpeciall prudency and policy, chap. 5.25. He asked water and ſhe gave him milk, ſhe brought forth butter in a lordly diſh.
Verſ. 21. And Jael Hebers wife took a nail of the tent, &c.] That is, a pin or nail of iron, or pointed with iron, wherewith the tent being ſtretched forth was faſtened to the ground. And for this act of hers ſhe is pronounced bleſſed by the Spirit of God, chap. 5.24. and therefore there is no queſtion to be made of the lawfulneſſe of that ſhe did: for though it is ſaid, verſ. 17. There was peace between Jabin and the houſe of Heber, yet that is not to be underſtood of any mutuall league (for princes do not uſe to enter into treaties of that nature with men of ſuch inferiour rank, whom they have no cauſe to fear) but onelyonly that Jabin had (happely upon the promiſe of ſome yearly tribute) yielded that his houſe ſhould live in peace. However Jael might know of the prophecy of Deborah, that God had now determined to put an end to his tyranny; and beſides, ſhe might now be moved by a ſpeciall and extraordinary inſtinct of the Spirit of God, which muſt needs be a ſufficient warrant for her, both to inſnare this captain by policy, and afterwards to take away his life, as an enemy appointed to deſtruction: and the rather, that hereby ſhe might approve her ſelf a true member of the Church and people of God, and that ſhe preferred their welfare before any thing that concerned her ſelf.